Sea Shepherd and LUSH Seal Defense Campaign a Major Success

$36,000+ DONATED · 38,000+ PETITIONS SIGNED · 130+ MEDIA OUTLETS

On March 16, 2009, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics North America and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society launched a hard-hitting North American campaign to end Canada's controversial commercial seal hunt. How did Sea Shepherd supporters and LUSH customers help with this extremely successful campaign?

You signed 38,015 postcard petitions; you signed 9,681 online petitions; you bought 5,533 First Swim Bubble Bars (the entire stock); and you helped LUSH donate US $36,894.02 to Sea Shepherd from the sales of the First Swim bubble bar and Charity Pot lotion combined.

"Sea Shepherd is extremely grateful to LUSH for their efforts to bring this issue into the spotlight. After witnessing the cruel slaughter of seals first hand and devoting most of my life to bringing it to an end, I am hopeful that the increased public awareness through the LUSH campaign for the seals will aid the efforts by those of us working to stop this barbaric practice once and for all." -- Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President of Sea Shepherd

A new bubble bar in the shape of a baby seal was created especially for this campaign. Called "First Swim" because many baby seals are slaughtered so young they haven't even had a chance to go in the water, 100% of the proceeds from this bubble bar were donated to Sea Shepherd in recognition of the over 30 years that Captain Watson and Sea Shepherd have been battling against this cruel and unnecessary hunt.

LUSH - First Swim Bar

Sea Shepherd was also made a recipient of LUSH North America's Charity Pot program, exclusively during this campaign, and jointly with other non-profits for the next several months. Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters to consider purchasing this product (a hand and body lotion made with animal friendly ingredients) with our Jolly Roger logo on the lid while it remains available.

LUSH Charity Pot

LUSH is the first company in Canada to take a national stand on this issue. This in-store campaign across Canada and the United States, with the assistance of LUSH shop staff and a new seal brochure jointly created by LUSH and Sea Shepherd, resulted in a great deal of outreach. The windows of LUSH stores were dominated by a giant picture of a baby harp seal with the words "End Canada's License to Kill" splattered in red paint. Postcard petitions were distributed at all participating LUSH stores.

On March 18, 2009, Sea Shepherd Development Director Alex S. Earl and several Sea Shepherd supporters were present at LUSH's Queen Street store in Ontario, Canada to support LUSH employee Kristi while she stripped down to virtually nothing with red paint and lied on a bloody Canadian flag in front of the store. LUSH store employees dressed as pirates at participating stores including this one. Also on March 18, 2009, Sea Shepherd Director of Shark Conservation Kim McCoy was joined by crewmembers Shannon Mann, and Laurens De Groot at the downtown Seattle, Washington LUSH store to support the store staff in handing out postcard petitions.

LUSH Employee Kristi Kristi & Alex

LUSH Toronto Queen St. Store

LUSH Toronto Queen St. Employees & Alex S. Earl

On March 19, 2009, Captain Watson, spoke at the LUSH Georgetown store in Washington, D.C., in support of this campaign. Joined by LUSH staff he also attended the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C., and encouraged those attending the festival to sign postcard petitions

Captain Paul Watson, LUSH Georgetown Store

SSCS Vessel Farley Mowat on ice floe with baby seal

Captain Paul Watson & Richard Dean Anderson, 2005

Captain Paul Watson, Eastern Canada, 1976

On March 24, 2009, Sea Shepherd Media Manager Amy Baird was present at the LUSH Robson Street store in Vancouver, British Columbia, to support LUSH North America Co-Owner Karen Wolverton as she showed her support for the seals by being covered with red paint and lying on a bloody Canadian flag in front of the store.

Amy Baird with Vancouver media

Karen Wolverton, LUSH Vancouver Robson St. Store

Karen Wolverton, LUSH Vancouver Robson St. Store

Amy Baird, LUSH Vancouver Robson St. Store

On March 26, 2009, Sea Shepherd supporters were on hand to support another event at the LUSH Government Street store in Victoria, British Columbia.

On May 2, 2009, Sea Shepherd Development Director Alex S. Earl met with representatives of LUSH in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Robson Street LUSH store to hand over 38,015 signed postcard petitions (politicians often regard every complaint they receive as representative of 1,000 others who share the same opinion) to Canadian Senator Mac Harb. Senator Harb took possession of these signed postcard petitions opposing the Canadian commercial seal hunt with the assurance that each petition will be delivered directly to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the nation's capitol in Ottawa, Ontario.

Erika, Sen. Harb, Alex S. Earl, Tricia

Trica, Erika, Alex S. Earl, Sen. Mac Harb

The Canadian commercial seal hunt is currently the largest slaughter of marine mammals anywhere on the planet. Senator Harb has worked tirelessly to end this hunt. He introduced legislation in March which if passed would amend The Fisheries Act. While no other Senator backed his proposal to put this bill to a vote in the Canadian Senate, Senator Harb stands alone as the only Canadian politician since the 1970s to openly speak out against the Canadian government annual slaughter of seals.

A global movement against Canada's seal hunt is reaching a tipping point. The United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland have complete bans against the importation of Canadian seal products. As of May 5, 2009, the European Union (EU) has voted to ban the sale of seal products (including those from Canada) in the 27-nation EU. The world's sealing nations, with Canada's hunt being the largest, are in greater contravention of global opinion than ever. With few commercial markets remaining open, the end of the seal hunt is near. It is the profound hope of Sea Shepherd and LUSH that the delivery of these petitions along with the combination of the EU vote will help to end this cruel slaughter once and forever.

These multiple events, combined with the campaign, generated a great deal of media interest and coverage in over 130 media outlets across North America and globally including television, radio, newspaper, and online. Eleven TV news stations interviewed LUSH store staff and customers. Over 80 websites/blogs covered this important issue. This includes JapanToday.com, USA Today.com, NBC New York, 1410 Talk Radio Vancouver, Global TV, CTV, KOMO 4 News, Le Journal De Montreal, the Detroit News and Free Press, and the Arizona Republic. The following is a sampling of this media coverage:

Sea Shepherd thanks all supporters who signed petitions, purchased a First Swim bar and/or Charity Pot, or more. Sea Shepherd also extends its profound thanks to LUSH North America: Mark and Karen Wolverton, Erika, Tricia, Brandi, Sean, Jen, and countless others in marketing, media, campaigns, and manufacturing. LUSH is a company that is not afraid to take a stand on behalf of animals and the environment worldwide, and Sea Shepherd is grateful for it. If the opportunity presents itself, please stop into one of their stores to thank them personally.